Half Asleep, Half Awake
by rightxhere
Summary: DannyLindsay It was almost as though she’d been walking in a daze all day.


**Title:** Half Asleep, Half Awake**  
Author:** Demelza **  
Show:** CSI New york**  
Pairing:** Danny/Lindsay**  
Disclaimer:** If I owned the show, it would rock. I don't, thus why it turned to suck.**  
Rating:** PG**  
Warnings:** _Very_ slight sexual references.**  
Spoilers:** Um, none?**  
Summary:** It was almost as though she'd been walking in a daze all day.**  
Notes:** The 4.16 episode never happened.**  
Dedication:** For my dear friends Liff and Dine. I hope this helps make things a little better. huge hugs

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It was almost as though she'd been walking in a daze all day. Half asleep, _half awake_.

She knew what day it was, knew the significance of it, and while some part of her was sure it being "that" day was why she was feeling the way she had been, another part of her wondered if sleep - or the lack thereof - had a lot more to do with it.

She barely slept more than two hours the night before. The week past she hadn't slept much either, all because of the long hours she'd been putting in at work to help out with the sudden backlog of cases they were inundated with.

Finished with the final notes of one of the dozen or more cases she'd signed on to help with, she knew she couldn't do any more work unless she had an overload of caffeine in her system.

Along the way to the lounge she got a nod of 'Hello' from Adam and Stella. She responded with 'Hi', but her lack of energy made it come out sounding like some kind of mumbled grunt an ape would make. The pair had cast her a small smile, and she knew it was because they both knew what it felt like to be working on such a sparse amount of sleep.

Stopping in the staff lounge after what felt like an hour-long trek from the ballistics lab, she spotted a fresh, steaming pot of coffee and made her way to it. It felt like coffee's all she'd been living on this past week, but didn't let the thought stop her from having more as she reached for a mug off the shelf above and set it down in front of her.

Her breath caught for a beat and she felt her chest rise slowly as her gaze caught the coffee stains that lined the inside of the stone white mug. It was almost like they represented different events from her life up until now. Some spread out, _others overlapping_, the main ones drifted into her mind.

Hunting with her grandfather.

Camping when she was thirteen with her whole school.

Being kissed for the first time.

Missing prom night because she was too sick to go.

Her best friends being murdered.

Joining the Sheriff's department.

Choosing to become a forensic investigator.

Moving to New York.

Meeting her new 'family'.

Doing work she loved.

Coming face to face with the man who murdered her friends.

Realizing she needed Danny - the man she'd found herself falling deeply in love with - by her side to get through everything.

Of course, the thought of Danny made her realize she hadn't breathed for a few seconds, and so she finally let out the breath that'd built in her lungs.

She could feel a smile forming on her lips, and she wondered why she needed coffee to make her heart race to keep her awake when thinking of Danny did the same thing.

"Hey gorgeous! I've been lookin' for you..."

His voice alone startled her, though she didn't turn to face him. She didn't need to, not to know Danny was leaning in the doorway with the same white t-shirt and jeans she'd seen him in an hour or more ago. "Oh yeah?" she murmured, hoping to hear some more of that thick New York accent of his.

"Yeah."

Forehead creasing at the way he replied. There was a hint of secrecy, something she'd learned to recognize easily from her parents when they went through a real rough patch in their marriage.

She turned slowly to face him, and there before her he stood with his arms crossed at his chest, leaning against the doorframe in much the same way he had done that first week she'd been working at the lab.

His grin unwavering, she suddenly felt her cheeks burning red hot.

"What?" she asked, nervously tucking strands of hair behind her ear as she turned back to the coffee pot.

"Nothin', Linds. I'm just watchin' you. That's all."

The tone he was using was familiar in all the _right _ways, just at the wrong time, and it set her heart racing again. On any ordinary day, him just watching her did things to her that no man had ever had the power to do before, and with today not being like any _ordinary_ day, she knew herself well enough to know if he wanted her to be, she'd be like putty in his hands if he wanted her to do whatever, wherever he wanted.

Closing her eyes, she willed herself to fight what his mere presence was doing to her. Only, she could still feel his gaze on her. Could feel his eyes taking in every inch of her as he decided exactly what tonight would bring them both.

"How about dinner, my place?"

She swallowed at his words, lifted the pot from the percolator and slowly poured the piping hot coffee into her mug. She watched as the dark liquid rose above each of the stains she'd stared intently at those minutes ago.

Camping. Her first kiss. Her friends being taken from her. Being sworn in as a deputy in the Sheriff's department. Moving to New York. Her and Danny making love for the first time.

The last one caused her to stop pouring. The coffee'd barely filled her mug halfway, and she _couldn't_ fill it any more.

"Linds?" came Danny's concerned voice.

Setting the pot back under the percolator, she traced the rim of the mug with her fingertips, gazed down at the dark liquid.

She didn't realize Danny had moved away from the doorway, not until he slipped his arms around her and she inhaled deeply.

The aroma of the fresh coffee was a heavenly scent mixed in with his cologne, and she smiled happily. "God I love you, Messer."

The chuckle that came from him was deep, and his stubble rough as he pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "Not as much as I love you, Monroe."

Her smile widened and she closed her eyes, moaning softly. "One more hour, and you can take me home."

"Mmm," he murmured. "Exactly what I planned to do, Birthday Girl."

Her smile turned into a grin, knowing this was just one of over a thousand reasons why she loved him as much as she did. Even though there were only a few hours left of what was normally a day she avoided, it made her happy knowing she'd be spending the rest of them in the arms of the man she had fallen in love with these last two years living in New York.

It made her very, _very_ happy.


End file.
